


darling, i'll guide you home

by dreamsailing



Category: NU'EST, Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, a little angst at the end, but still happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-25 22:33:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14388486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamsailing/pseuds/dreamsailing
Summary: the four times jihoon doesn't let go of jonghyun and the one time he does, because he knows jonghyun will always, always come back to him.





	darling, i'll guide you home

**Author's Note:**

> can't sleep? write fic (:  
> this is just something quick and simple. enjoy!

 

i.

  
"come on hyung, can't you stay the night?"

jihoon places down his controller on the floor, stretching his numbing legs before him while he watches jonghyun pick up his coat and few of his things scattered on jihoon's couch.

"we can even play a game of your choice this time."

he tries to convince one more time but only elicits a laugh from the older. jonghyun only throws him a taunting smile, smoothens the fabric of his coat with his palms and starts buttoning up.

"hmm, tempting. but sadly, i've got to work on my paper that's due on wednesday. i'm really behind schedule."

jonghyun stops midway when he feels jihoon press behind him, a chin suddenly perched on his shoulder. jonghyun doesn't have to look down to check there's already a pout forming on the younger's lips.

"but it's saturday night!" he whines and jonghyun couldn't help but giggle at the younger's display, "saturdays are game nights. you still have sunday until tuesday to cram for your paper. sounds good?"

this time jihoon drops to plant his forehead on jonghyun's shoulder, his arms easily coming to wound around jonghyun's middle, effectively trapping the older.

"seriously, park jihoon. if i'm going to fail this class i'm gonna blame you."

jihoon bounds from jonghyun's back to stare at the older's face, and looking at how there's already a smile tugging on jonghyun's lips, he knows he just won this one again.

but then again, when does jihoon never get his way with jonghyun? the older adores him too much to say no. and jihoon knows this. he knows his name is written down the short list of jonghyun's weaknesses and he knows well how to play his cards, always using them to his advantage.

with one final sigh from jonghyun, he turns around to ruffle the younger's hair. jihoon scrunches his nose at the gesture, fingers coming up to unbutton what little jonghyun has done.

"don't worry," he says playfully, "nothing a tub of ice cream and lots of kisses couldn't fix, right?"

 

ii.

 

"what kind of boyfriend leaves his sick boyfriend behind?"

"one that cares for his own well-being?"

jihoon grumbles from the bed, throwing one of his pillows at jonghyun who's already by the door.

"hyung! you can't leave me! i'll be dead when you come back!"

jonghyun's hand falls from the door knob as he looks back at jihoon who's entire face is flushed and his nose red like a tomato. jihoon sniffles, an exaggerated one, and rubs at his nose with the sleeve of his pajama top.

"it's just a cold, jihoon, you're not going to die."

"people in the middle ages died because of the cold, hyung."

"yeah, but they didn't have proper medicine then."

"and i don't have proper medicine right now, too."

with this, jonghyun's brows scrunch as he marches back towards the table beside jihoon's bed to inspect the medicines littering on the surface.

"pretty sure i already made you drink your medicine." he says, flipping the sachet to check it's the correct drug prescribed for cold.

"nope, not that medicine." jihoon says. jonghyun looks back at the bed to see the younger with his arms wide open, waiting for him.

jonghyun places down the medicine on the table. "just what exactly is your medicine, hm, jihoon?"

jihoon laughs despite his voice sounding hoarse and his throat feeling parched.

"i need boyfriend-prescribed cuddles to bring me back to health."

jihoon coughs the last word and jonghyun laughs when jihoon curls against the bed, stuffing his face against the pillow in a futile attempt to mute his cough.

"i need my cuddles!" jihoon whines when the cough subsides.

seeing jihoon's sweat matted forehead and disheveled hair breaks every restraint jonghyun has left. _contamination be damned_. he just hopes his immune system's strong enough to pull him through this unscathed.

"you're normally clingy but you're extra clingy when you're sick." jonghyun jabs, but really, there's no bite in it. he slides under the covers and opens his arms for jihoon who immediately cuddles against him.

"i'm your personal leech." jonghyun hears jihoon say from where it's muffled against his chest.

"remind me to look out more for your health. i don't want to be locked down by a sick koala."

jihoon throws a leg over jonghyun and an arm over his middle, pulling their bodies impossibly closer and nuzzling deeper into jonghyun's chest.

"you're not going anywhere."

jonghyun threads his fingers through jihoon's hair, "i know." he smiles, and presses a kiss on the crown of jihoon's head. "not that i'm even planning to."

 

iii.

 

the air is freezing cold but jonghyun's hand in his is enough to make jihoon brave through this freezing walk back to his dorm.

he looks at his side to see jonghyun with a somber look on his face, almost hidden by the cap he's wearing. it's dark, it being late in the evening (or well into the first hour in the morning), but jihoon doesn't miss how jonghyun's nose is red when they pass under a lamp post.

it's second nature. one that he has acquired from the older from the many times he has done it for jihoon: reaching to pull up the scarf around the other's neck to cover more of his face; to shield him more from the cold.

jonghyun looks at him right after, squeezing their hands together in thanks.

jihoon squeezes back and smiles, "you look cute with your nose red but i prefer you having a normal one than a frozen one."

jonghyun only shakes his head, a small laughter bubbling at the back of his throat.

when they reach jihoon's dorm building, jonghyun stops by the steps at the entrance. jihoon looks back, pulled by their still interlocked fingers.

"you're not coming up?"

"i should probably head back. it's late."

jihoon's lips downturn for a second before he's squeezing their hands together even tighter.

"coffee?" he offers, trying to tug on jonghyun.

jonghyun shakes his head, scrunching his nose at jihoon.

"hot chocolate, then?"

a shake of the head.

"ramyeon?"

another shake.

"netflix and chill?"

jonghyun arches a brow at this and jihoon instantly flushes. he soon erupts in a fit of laughter while jihoon tries to fan down his still burning face.

"come on, just drink something hot before you go. i don't want you to freeze out there in the middle of the street." jihoon says defensively.

when the laugh finally dies off jonghyun's mouth, he scans jihoon's face before bringing their  hands to his lips to kiss jihoon's knuckles.

"you look cute, so, okay."

 

iv.

 

"you are not going anywhere today." jihoon is at the door with his hands on the frame, blocking jonghyun's only exit from his room.

"jihoon," jonghyun says exasperatedly, running a palm over his face. "i already promised seongwu i'll go with him to check the new apartment."

"no, not when you're coming down with a fever." jihoon removes his hands on the door frame only to catch jonghyun's and lead him back to the bed. "tell him he can go with minhyun hyung instead."

jonghyun snorts, but lets jihoon's hands slide against his shoulders to remove his coat.

"they'll get nowhere. you know how seongwu is around minhyun."

"a dumb, love struck idiot."

"correct. and how do you think he'll manage being left alone with minhyun?"

"he won't. he'll probably pass out before minhyun hyung even says hi to him."

"exactly, that's why i need to go with him."

"still no."

jihoon pushes him down the bed and pulls the blanket to tuck it under his chin.

"jihoon." he tries to wriggle out of the blanket but jihoon holds him down.

"quit fussing before i turn you into a burrito."

jonghyun has only one memory of being a burrito and honestly, it wasn't a pleasant experience. jihoon's fingers are made for tickling and his tickling is _deadly_. surely, jonghyun doesn't want to experience death twice.  
  
"i'm going to soak some towel with water, stay here."

"but seongwu-"

"you're not going anywhere, kim jonghyun." jihoon singsongs before closing the door shut.

jonghyun lies there unmoving, staring at the spotless ceiling when something finally dawns on him, making him spring from the bed.

"ya! who are you calling kim jonghyun!" he shouts. he knows jihoon can hear him at the kitchen. "i'm your hyung!"

 

+

 

"you're being difficult right now, jihoon."

jonghyun closes the refrigerator with force, the pot settled atop it shaking a little. he uncaps the water bottle and drinks from it, one hand pressed down the edge of the dinner table.

"i'm the one being difficult? really, hyung? who was the one who kept a secret all this time, huh?"

"i didn't tell you because i didn't have to. i'm not going anyway."

"did you just decide you're not going now that i found out about it?"

"jihoon, stop. i'm not accepting the scholarship. there's no secret to be kept because there's nothing to hide in the first place."

"but it's the school of your dreams! did you think i would hold you back once i learned about this?"

"we're not talking about-"

"no, hyung. did you seriously thought i wouldn't support you? that's why you kept it from me and just decided to drop it?"

"no, i'm not-"

"you don't trust me like how i trust you?"

"stop."

jonghyun turns around to face jihoon the first time since they started arguing. the younger's tear stricken face sends a punch to jonghyun's gut. the sight is unbearable. he never wanted to see jihoon cry. let alone be the cause of it.

but here they are, arguing, causing jihoon to pour his tears out because of jonghyun.

he feels horrible.

"we'll talk when we clear our heads off."

he says before walking past jihoon to grab his keys and his coat by the couch and heading towards the door.

the slam resounds after jonghyun leaves.

jihoon doesn't hold him back.

couldn't even hold him back.

he retreats back to the living room and sits himself on the couch. hugging his legs against his chest, jihoon waits in silence for the door to open and for jonghyun to come back.

he can only hope he comes back.

 

  
it's three hours later, a quarter past one when the door opens slowly.

jihoon stops biting on his nails and shoots up from the couch. jonghyun pads in, his head hanging low and a plastic bag on his hold.

his steps are small but jihoon waits until he stands in front of him, hand reaching into the bag to retrieve a carton of strawberry milk to hand it to jihoon.

jihoon stares at it for a moment, before taking it from jonghyun and letting his fingers linger in the touch.

jihoon bites his lips. the air is thick and suffocating.

"we're both difficult." jonghyun finally breaks, taking jihoon's free hand and pressing his thumb tenderly at the back of it. "but we'll make it work."

"because i love you." jihoon whispers, tears welling up in his eyes again.

"because we love each other." jonghyun whispers back before bringing jihoon into a hug. a crushing one.

jihoon drops the strawberry milk on the couch to cling onto jonghyun, crying the remaining tears he has and wetting jonghyun's coat in the process. jonghyun runs a hand over his back and whispers comforting words to his ear.

_we'll make it through._

_we'll make it work._

_we trust each other._

jihoon only nods. and when the tears subside, he curls his fingers against the fabric of jonghyun's coat, meets his eyes and says,

"go, i'll be here when you come back."

he says this with nothing in his heart but love. he says this with no fear, no doubts, no hesitation.

what's a year or two of waiting when they've got a lifetime ahead to spend with each other?

when jonghyun nods in response, jihoon feels a thorn being pulled out of his neck.

this time he'll let jonghyun go.

because he knows.

jonghyun will always come back to him.

his home.

 


End file.
